Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a bilateral hip disorder should be remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records. The AOJ must obtain updated VA treatment records, review all evidence received since the last SSOC, and provide the Veteran with a corrected supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for psychiatric disorders and secondary service connection for hypertension, PVD, sleep apnea, and ischemic heart disease. The Veteran's psychiatric disorder is being examined again as it may be related to his service-connected tinnitus and hearing loss.

Service connection is granted for hypertension due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy may be related to his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, hypertension, glaucoma, a back disability, diabetes, and OSA have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities (right and left) and right shoulder disability are remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, polycythemia, and dyspnea due to in-service military environmental exposures. The AOJ is required to obtain addendum VA medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to service-connected renal disease or obesity, which may be an intermediate step between the service-connected condition and the claimed disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and its relationship to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder; other specified trauma related disorder, diabetes mellitus, arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease), and peripheral neuropathy upper extremities have been granted. The claim for hypertension has been dismissed as moot.,Service connection is established for diabetes mellitus due to herbicide agent exposure and arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) based on in-service exposure. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy upper extremities, lower extremities, and acne remains pending.

The Board has determined that additional medical examinations and opinions are needed to determine the relationship between the Veteran's claimed conditions and his active service, including any potential exposure to toxic substances. The claims for hypertension, heart condition, skin condition, spinal stenosis and degenerative arthritis of lumbar spine, gastrointestinal disorders (GERD), colon polyps, and respiratory disorder are all remanded.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities and/or medication.,The Veteran's loss of use of a creative organ is granted based on service-connected disabilities.,Service connection for GERD is granted, but the effective date is denied due to lack of prior claim.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension claim should be remanded for further action, including providing information about the qualifications of a medical opinion provider.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for peripheral vestibular disorder and hypertension due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of sufficient evidence. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which may be related to his in-service ear infection or obesity as an intermediate step to his service-connected lower extremity disorder.

The Veteran's left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy is currently rated at 20 percent since July 12, 2011.,Since November 16, 2022, the Veteran's left lower extremity femoral nerve neuropathy is rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to total disability for individual unemployability (TDIU) due to conflicting assertions regarding whether the Veteran requires more time to submit a VA Form 21-8940 and whether it is required at all. Further, a retrospective VA opinion must be obtained that provides an analysis of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his employability since June 2000.

The Veteran's hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (MI and atrial fibrillation) are granted as secondary to the service-connected sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for erectile dysfunction and hypertension have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction, as there was no physical deformity of the penis. For hypertension, the evidence showed predominantly diastolic pressure at 100 or more requiring continuous medication, corresponding to a 10% rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now considered. The Board has granted service connection for OSA, GERD, headaches, sinusitis, rhinitis, and throat disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ankle disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, left wrist disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine DDD, hypertension, heart disability (claimed as a heart attack and stent), gastrointestinal disorder (IBS), and skin cancer due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's heart disability, which includes coronary artery disease with recurrent non-segment elevation myocardial infarction (heart disability), is now rated at 60 percent. The claim for service connection for hypertension has been remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum available rating under VA regulations.,The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.